Hey, sorry this wasn't up last Monday, my hay fever has been acting up and I haven't been in the mood to think and write.

Chapter 8

Isabel made her way over to the Crashdown, she was dressed in her red strapless dress and her blonde hair was pinned up. She made to the door and opened it, she looked around, wondering why it was dark when all of a sudden the light snapped on and everyone jumped out.

"SURPRISE!" they exclaimed. Isabel took a step back in surprise as she took in her surrounding and let out a small laugh.

"I can't believe you did this," Isabel stated and Diane smiled.

"Max helped us to do all this," Diane stated and Isabel nodded as she looked around for her father and Diane smiled sadly. "Sorry honey, your father was about to step out of the door when they dropped another case on him, he sends his apologies," Diane told her and Isabel nodded.

"He'll make up for it anyway," Max, stated as he stepped closer to them before nodding at Isabel. "Happy birthday," Max stated, stepping back slightly when Isabel stepped forward. Diane sighed slightly to herself, Max has still hasn't forgiven Isabel for playing with Liz's head.

Isabel nodded. "Thanks," she replied and Max nodded.

"Wait, are you telling me you didn't have a clue about this?" Michael asked as he moved closer and Isabel shook her head.

"Not a clue," she confirmed and he looked at her, puzzled.

"Then how come you're wearing that dress?" he asked and everyone looked at her, she looked down at her dress before blushing slightly.

"I have a date tonight, or rather, I did have a date tonight, that's why I am dressed up like this," she explained and got nods in reply.

The door jingled once more and everyone turned to see a young man walking toward Isabel, he wore a blue shirt and light brown jeans, he had deep brown eyes and light wavy brown hair.

"Isabel. Sorry I'm late. I didn't know there was going to be a party," the man stated and Isabel smiled as she shook her head.

"Neither did I, Grant," she informed him before he handed her a bunch of purple roses and she smiled. "Purple are my favourite."

"So I heard," Grant told her.

"No, wait. Who's ever heard of purple roses? What, did you, like, dye them or something?" Michael asked and Isabel shot him an exasperated look.

"They're sterling roses, Michael. They're...they're really rare and expensive," Isabel emphasise as she looked at the roses once more while Grant looked around the room.

"Well, I'm impressed. No one's ever given me a surprise party," Grant stated and Diane perked up.

"Oh, when's your birthday?" Diane asked and Grant looked at her.

"December 7th," he replied and she nodded.

"And what year might that be?" she asked, causing a strange look from Grant and a horrified look from Isabel.

"Mom!" Isabel scolded only to get a 'what' look from her mother, she turned back to face Grant and noticed that he had some blood on his neck. "Oh, you...you're bleeding on your..." Isabel stated as she pointed it out, Grant touched his neck.

"I am?" Grant asked as he felt around and pulled his hand away when he felt wetness and saw the blood.

"Oh, here. Let me," Isabel stated as she turned to her mother. "Here, mom. Will you...?" she asked as she handed the glass that she was holding before grabbing a napkin and started to wipe at the blood.

"Must have happened when I slipped down the ravine on the dig today," Grant told her but Isabel didn't hear as she started getting some visions, she snapped out of it and looked at Grant, who looked back at her. "You know, I think I better leave, I don't think it's a good time for date," he pointed out and Isabel shook her head.

"You could stay," Isabel suggested and Grant shook his head.

"It's okay, I have some samples to drop back off at the lab, have a good time and call me later," he told her as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before leaving, Diane turned back to Isabel.

"You know, honey, not now and not tonight, but pretty soon you and I are gonna have to have a little talk," Diane told her and Isabel nodded as she took the glass from Courtney only to get a vision of Tess in accident, she gasped out loud before dropping her glass.

"Isabel?" Michael asked and Isabel grinned sheepish.

"I'm just clumsy today, I just have a headache," Isabel told them as she knelt down and was about to pick up the pieces when Courtney appeared.

"It's okay, I'll take care of it," Courtney stated as she pulled the dustpan and brush over to her and swept up the broken glass.

"Are you sure?" Isabel asked and Courtney nodded.

"Totally sure, you get back and enjoy your party," Courtney assured and Isabel nodded as she stood back up and looked around.

"Where's Tess?" she asked as she moved closer to Kyle, Kyle turned around.

"She told me she was heading over to Jensen to get your present," Kyle told her before turning back to his friends, Max turned to face his friends and mom.

"I'm gonna go and get Liz," Max stated, Isabel looked at him before turning away from him, she was having headaches and Tess was missing and all he cared about with Liz. Michael snorted softly to himself; Maria and Alex nodded.

"Sure thing," Maria stated as she hopped off the counter and smiled at Courtney as she helped her carry the drinks, Courtney smiled back and they both started serving the drinks.

Liz moved her hips to the music playing from the CD player that was sitting on her desk as she placed the folders in the drawer; she turned around and bumped into Whitaker.

"Oh! Sorry!" Liz told her. "I'm nearly finished," she told her and Whitaker shook her head.

"Its no problem," she told her and there was a cough, they both turned to see Max standing there and Liz shot him a bright smile.

"I'll be a minute Max," Liz told him as she switched her CD player off, Max nodded as Liz turned back to Whitaker and Whitaker smiled.

"Have a good night Parker," she told Liz and walked out.

Liz grabbed the keys and made her way over to the cabinet and pulled the doors opened.

"Liz?" Max asked as Liz grabbed a CD and placed it in the CD player and pressed play.

"Do you really think Maria and James are just watching the movies?" they heard Liz teasing.

"I know what I like to do with you at the movies," they heard Max teased back and they both stared at each other, stunned as Liz pressed the stop button.

"She's been taping my calls," Liz whispered.

"We gotta tell everyone," Max told her as Liz took the CD out and placed it back in the box before placing it back in the cabinet and locked it before linking hands with Max as they both hurried over to the Crashdown.

They bumped into Maria and made their way into the backroom.

"We have a problem," Max stated and Isabel turned to them.

"We know, Tess is missing," Isabel told them.

"Oh boo hoo," Maria stated, causing Liz to roll her eyes.

"What do you mean she's missing?" Liz asked.

"I've been getting visions of her hurt," Isabel told them and it clicked in her brain. "Wait, if you didn't know about Tess, what's your problem?" Isabel asked.

"Whitaker has been taping my calls," Liz told her. "I found CDs."

"Okay, we have two problems," Alex stated. "Whitaker is taping Liz's call, meaning she is listening for something and Tess being missing," Alex stated and Michael shook his head.

"Why does everyone make it seem like Tess is less important?" Michael snapped and Maria shrugged.

"Why should she be important?" Maria asked. "She think us human beings are less important so she is less important to us," Maria finished and Liz looked at her best friend in a shock, causing Maria to shrug. "I'm just saying!" she threw up her hands and Liz shook her head as she turned back to Isabel.

"What are we to do?" Liz asked and Max took charge.

"I'll team up with Valenti and we'll check out who Tess has been in contact with and check out her last place where someone saw her," Max told them and they nodded.

"We'll stay here and distract your mother, you need to act like there's nothing wrong," Liz pointed out as she saw Isabel was about to protest and Maria nodded in agreement.

"It wouldn't look so good if you were to disappear in the middle of your party," Maria agreed, backing up Liz and the glare Isabel sent them went unnoticed.

Max left the Crashdown while Maria, Isabel, Liz and Alex headed into the main room where Diane hurried over to Isabel.

"Come on, time to open your presents," Diane told her and Isabel laughed as they both moved over to the pile of presents, Diane reached down and picked up a small box before handing it over to Isabel.

Isabel took and opened it only to reveal a small alien key chain; she blanched slightly before pasting a fake smile on her.

"Who gave me this?" Isabel asked as she looked around only to see that no one owned up and she nodded. "I've always wanted one of these," she teased and laughed came while Michael came out with a cake.

"Okay, time to blow out your candles," Michael stated and Isabel laughed as she moved closer to the cake, she blew out the candles only to get an image of Tess and a flash of 'Red', she gasped as she moved away from the cake.

"Isabel?" Diane asked and Isabel shook her head.

"Sorry, my headache is getting worse, I'd better take some aspirins," she told her before hurrying into the backroom with Maria and Isabel.

"Did you have another vision?" Liz asked and Isabel turned to Maria.

"Give me your keys," Isabel told her and Maria shook her head.

"No way. Last time I lent out the Jetta, an Uzi took out the back window," Maria reminded.

"Then drive me," Isabel snapped.

"Where?" Maria asked.

"To look for Tess. I saw a sign - RED'S," Isabel told her.

"Red?" They both asked and Liz turned to Maria. "Isn't there a 'Fred' outside Roswell, the 'F' never actually really worked so it would look like red?" Liz asked and Maria nodded.

"Yeah, there is. I'll go with Isabel, you stay here and tell the others," Maria told her and Liz nodded.

"There's your "RED'S"," Maria stated as she pulled her Jetta out in front of the sign that said 'Red' the F wasn't working.

"That's it," Isabel stated as she climbed out of the car and saw Tess's car, she hurried over to look at it and saw it was damaged and abandoned. "Shoot. Where is she?" Isabel exclaimed.

"Maybe she was thrown out of the car," Maria suggested and Isabel shook her head.

"I don't think so," Isabel told her.

"Um, maybe the paramedics already came," Maria, suggested once more.

"No." Isabel picked up a piece of skin that was on Tess' car and it disintegrated in her hand. "No. She was taken."

"Ahh, I can't get a signal this far out," Maria muttered as she fiddled around with her phone.

"I see some tracks. 2 sets of tires, see? But look here. They swerve near Tess' car...then go out in that direction," Isabel stated as she pointed and Maria looked.

"Straight into nowhere," Maria stated.

"No where's where we're going," Isabel stated.

"Note to self - get 4-wheel drive," Maria muttered as they both got back in the Jetta and drove off.

They drove past the Chavez Country Electric Power Facility and Isabel looked toward it.

"She's in there," Isabel told Maria and Maria shook her head.

"Oh, no. No. No. Now, you don't know that," Maria told her.

"I feel it," Isabel stated.

"We need to get Max and Michael," Maria told her.

"Then go get them," Isabel stated and Maria shook her head.

"No. No. No. You're not going in there by yourself," Maria told her.

"I have to," Isabel told her.

"No. I'm not gonna leave you," Maria told her.

"Look. Go get Max and Michael, all right? Just go. But I can't wait. I have to go in," Isabel told her.

"All right. Here. Take the flashlight," Maria told her, after fumbling around in the glove box and handed the flashlight to Isabel.

"Ok," Isabel told her as she took the flashlight before climbing out of the car, she hurried over to the fence and climbed through it, only to rip her dress. She leaned down and took her shoes off before hurrying into the building.

She made her way through the building, looking around for Tess, she reached the main building and she saw Tess lying on the ground, badly beaten. "Oh, Tess. Oh, God. Tess. Oh, God. Wake up. Oh, wake up," Isabel exclaimed as she shook Tess.

Meanwhile, Liz was on her cell phone waiting for someone to answer the phone.

"Come on. Someone answer the phone...anyone," Liz pleaded only to snap her phone shut when the swinging door swung open to reveal Mrs. Evans.

"Liz, have you seen Isabel?" Diane asked and Liz smiled tightly.

"Isabel?" she asked.

Isabel is, currently, trying to get Tess to get up.

"Come on, Tess. I'll get you up. Come on, I'll get you up," Isabel told her as she helped Tess up.

Back at the Crashdown, Liz is thinking quickly to come up with a believable lie for Diane to believe.

"She, uh, spilled punch...you know, on her dress," Liz told her.

"Oh, my," Diane sighed.

"But she had to leave because she had to go take care of it. It was...it was upsetting her," Liz finished and Diane nodded.

"Sometimes, honey, if one hair is out of place, she won't leave the house," Diane told her before she headed back out to the Crashdown, leaving Liz sighing with relief before stabbing at her phone, trying to get someone to answer it.

Isabel moved Tess to an empty room, they both fell to the ground and Isabel shook Tess once more.

"There. Tess. Tess, stay with me. Stay with me, Tess. Damn it. Don't die on me now," Isabel snapped.

She spun around when she heard the bolts opening by themselves and knew that it was an alien on the other side; the door swung open and revealed Congress Whitaker standing there with her hand up and a smirk on her face.

"It's you," Isabel whispered and Whitaker nodded.

"Impressive," Whitaker told her and Isabel looked at her, confused.

"What?" Isabel asked.

"You. Coming here like this. I see my mistake. It wasn't her I was looking for," Whitaker told her.

"Then why did you take her?" Isabel demanded.

"Thought she was you. But neither of you looks like you did in the other life. I knew I needed one of the female hybrids. It was a 50/50 chance," Whitaker told with a shrug.

"Oh, God. What is it you want from us?" Isabel asked.

"Where's the granolith?" Whitaker asked.

"The what?" Isabel asked.

"The granolith. Don't pretend you don't know. We've been looking for it. We can't exist here like you...not in our natural state. We don't have the DNA. All we have are these...uh, skins. Our limit is 50 years. My time is almost up. I need to find the granolith if it's the last thing I do," Whitaker informed her and Isabel shook her head.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Isabel protested.

"You're hiding it. The four of you. The royalty they tried to save by sending you here. You're gonna help us," Whitaker told her and Isabel shook her head.

"Never," Isabel told her.

"You did before. You will again," Whitaker promised.

"You killed Naseco, didn't you?" Isabel demanded.

"To save you," Whitaker told her.

"From what?" Isabel asked.

"The other 3. You belong with us, our race. We're in charge now. Your kind doesn't rule anymore," Whitaker informed her.

Max, Jim and Michael hurried into the backroom and saw Liz pacing there with the phone to her ear.

"Where's Isabel?" Max asked and Liz turned to them.

"Out to 'Red', it's outside Roswell, near an abandoned plant, Isabel thinks that's where Tess in being held," Liz told them.

Max nodded as they all ran out of the Crashdown, Liz sighed as she turned back to the mess and smiled sadly to herself, not even birthdays could be a happy event anymore.

Diane walked over and smiled when she saw Liz.

"Hey honey, you staying behind?" she asked and Liz laughed.

"Yeah, I didn't want you to be left alone with this, beside, I helped create the party," she reminded and Diane laughed.

"But you didn't help create the mess," Diane also reminded and Liz smiled as they both grabbed bin bags and cleaned up the Crashdown.

Isabel glared at Whitaker.

"I'm not one of you," Isabel told her and Whitaker looked at her, curiously.

"You don't remember, do you? Let me give you a piece of history about your planet. "Your name was Vilandra, and you were beautiful...even more beautiful than you are now. You had a great love...and for him...for us...you betrayed your brother, your race."

"No.," Isabel whispered as she shook her head.

"You sacrificed him. You sacrificed everyone...even yourself. And history, my dear, always repeats itself," Whitaker promised.

"God, you liar. We're leaving. Tess, come on. Come on," Isabel stated as she bent down to help Tess up.

"Not until you tell me where you're hiding the granolith," Whitaker told her.

"I told you before; I don't know what you're talking about!" Isabel exclaimed.

"Well, maybe this will help jog your memory," Whitaker told her as she lifted her hand and a force threw Tess into the air, causing her to land with a thud.

"Uhh! Unh!" Tess moaned.

"Stop it! Stop hurting her!" Isabel shouted.

" I'll stop when you tell me what I want to know," Whitaker told her.

Isabel helped Tess to her feet and they both jump through the window to the platform below them, they started making their way to the exit when Whitaker gave a chase.

Isabel and Tess made it outside of the building when Whitaker also made it outside; she tore off an electrical cable. Max arrived at the gate and sees them.

"Isabel!" Max shouted.

"Where's the granolith?" Whitaker shouted.

"Get away from us!" Isabel screamed.

"I'll destroy you. I'll destroy you all if I have to," Whitaker shouted as she used her powers to lit up the electric cable and electrical sparks started shooting.

"No. No! Get away from us!" Isabel shouted.

"You will tell us!" Whitaker told her and Isabel glared at her.

"You're lying!" Isabel shouted and Congress Whitaker smiled.

"Let me tell you something, History always repeats itself," she told her.

She brought it down and pushed it toward Isabel, Isabel took a step back and looked around for anything to help her when she threw up her hand and used her powers to push back the electric sparks, Congress Whitaker looked at her before the sparks enveloped her. She screamed as she blew up, dust showering the area.

Isabel brought her hand down as she breathed heavily. Max ran toward her and grabbed her arm.

"Are you okay?" Max asked, Isabel came back to earth with a thud and gasped as she turned away from where Congress Whitaker used to stand.

"Yeah," she whispered as she watched as Mr. Valenti lifted Tess up into his arms and carried her out to his cruiser, Max followed them as Isabel looked at the space once more before walking out herself, she stood next to Max as Jim put Tess in the back seat before getting in the driver and drove off, Max looked over to her.

"What happened in there?" he asked and she shook her head.

"It was a nightmare," she whispered before she moved over to the jeep and climbed in, she drove off into the night while Maria walked over to Max and looked at him.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked and Max shrugged.

"Tess has been beaten up pretty badly, I don't know about Isabel, I guess she needs some time alone," Max explained to her and Maria nodded.

"Do you want a lift to the Valenti's so you can heal Tess?" she asked and Max sighed.

"Yeah, then I'll need a lift back to the Crashdown, I gotta give Liz the lay down," he told her and she nodded.

"No problem," she told him as they both headed over to the Jetta. "I guess not even birthdays are safe," she stated, Max just looked at her before they got into the Jetta and drove off.

Isabel made her way into the pod chamber.

"Happy birthday, Isabel. I'm 18 today, mother. October 25th. At least that's the day we've always celebrated as my birthday. But you're the only one really who knows the real day. I guess that's why I came to the place, the only place I've ever seen you. I hold...I hold on to that day, but you disappeared, and the picture of you was already fading, and it's all I had. I was so happy because you were beautiful and warm, and I even thought I looked like you. But it wasn't you...not really. God, I don't know what you look like. Maybe I'll never know. It isn't fair. It isn't fair. I need you. I need you. Where are you? Oh, God, it's my birthday. We should be together. How could you leave us? How could you tell us all this important information about destinies and saving the world and then just disappear? Oh, God. I...I killed a person...uh, an...An enemy, an...An alien? Does that make it ok? Oh, God. What was she talking about? What was she talking about? She said I betrayed my family. Is it true? Is it true? Am I a terrible person? Answer me. Answer me. Come on, answer me!" Isabel shouted as she picked up a rock at threw it at the pods in frustration.

The rock went through Max's pod and there was a clanging noise then an echo, Isabel looked at the pods in confusion before getting down on her knees and she crawled through Max's pod. She came to an opening and stood up only to take a step back and gasp as the black alien device came into view.

"The granolith," she whispered.

Liz made her way around her balcony, she lit up the candles, got the blanket all ready on the chair and grabbed her diary, her pen and a book when she heard a noise coming from the ladder, she turned around to see Max's head popping over the side, he smiled at her before climbing the rest of the way up.

When he swung himself over the ledge and stood up straight, Liz finally gave in.

"What happened?" Liz asked and Max sighed.

"Hope you weren't too attached to your boss," Max stated. "Isabel had to kill her tonight."

"She was a skin?" Liz asked as she looked at her boyfriend and he nodded and Liz sat down on the chair with a thump. "And I was working for her," she muttered. Max sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Just be happy that she didn't go after you, why she went for Tess is still a mystery," Max muttered and Liz looked at him.

"Maybe she knew that Tess was your wife in your past life?" Liz asked and Max looked at her.

"But it doesn't make sense why she would go for Tess in this life considering she knew about you and me," Max pointed out and Liz shrugged.

"She could have gone for Tess in hope to get to either Isabel or Michael, you guys don't really remember a lot about your past, it could tie in with that," Liz pointed out and Max nodded in agreement.

"I guess," he stated as he leaned back on the chair and Liz curled up into his side as they both stared up into the star filled night sky.

TBC